Liu Xi suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine. For the first time, he had the urge to wash his hands of the matter entirely.
It wasn't that he feared the man before him—Protector Jiu—but rather the terrifying shadow that stood behind him: the Hall of Souls, the most fearsome and mysterious force on the entire continent.
'This is trouble... that's a real giant I've stumbled into,' Liu Xi thought grimly. His gaze shifted toward Yao Chen. 'Still, since Yao Chen's already exposed himself, as long as he's alive and well, I shouldn't attract the Hall's big sharks... I'm just a small fish, after all.'
He tightened his grip on the dark chain and barked impatiently, "Senior, hand over that Qi Method right now, or I'm gone!"
"Hmph, courting death!"
Protector Jiu's cold snort echoed through the air. The chain shuddered violently, a surge of malicious energy bursting forth. The shock rattled Liu Xi's hand until it throbbed in pain, while a bone-chilling cold tried to pierce through his cyan flame barrier and invade his body.
Yao Chen still hadn't handed over the promised Flame Mantra, and Liu Xi's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. He abruptly released the chain and shot backward, the Dou Qi wings on his back flaring wide as he retreated at high speed.
Protector Jiu, hidden in the black mist, bristled with irritation but quickly weighed his priorities. Between Yao Chen and Liu Xi, only one truly mattered. Seeing Liu Xi withdraw, he didn't give chase. The chain spiraled in the air like a living serpent and lashed toward Yao Chen.
Yao Chen's expression darkened. Without Liu Xi holding the line, he could barely sustain himself, let alone fight back. When the chain closed to within three meters, his translucent figure flickered—then dove straight into the dark Storage Ring on Xiao Yan's finger.
Moments later, a streak of black light shot out from the ring, carrying Yao Chen's aged voice.
"Little friend, the Qi Method is here!"
'This sly old fox…'
Liu Xi's face twitched. The black scroll wasn't flying toward him—it was heading straight toward the oncoming chain! If he didn't intercept it, that scroll would be destroyed. Yao Chen had deliberately forced his hand, leaving him no choice but to intervene.
Grinding his teeth, Liu Xi thrust out his palm. A fierce blast of Dou Qi smashed into the chain, knocking it off course. Seizing the moment, he flashed forward, snatching the drifting black light from midair.
When he uncurled his fingers, a black scroll lay within his grasp—three ancient characters gleaming faintly across its surface: Flame Mantra.
A thrill surged through him. The legendary Qi Method said to be capable of forging Dou Di's path... Even if he had no intention of practicing it yet, merely possessing it would give him leverage—enough to pursue the Emperor's Pill embryo or bargain for the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's inheritance.
Protector Jiu's voice hissed from within the mist. "Liu Xi! You've interfered with me time and again. Do you really think I won't kill you first?"
Liu Xi calmly slipped the scroll into his ring, glancing up at the roiling darkness above with a faint smile. "Can't help it. The old man paid too well to hold you off for a while. Give me a few more minutes, and then you can have him. I promise, I won't interfere again."
"Seeking death!"
This time, Protector Jiu's patience snapped. The black fog surged outward like a storm tide, blotting out the sky. Sunlight vanished behind the oppressive shroud as a shadowed figure stepped forward—his form hidden beneath a sweeping black robe, leaving only a pair of blood-red eyes burning with feral cruelty.
The pressure in the air thickened, pressing against Liu Xi's chest like an invisible mountain.
With a deep breath, he ignited the cyan flame around his body, forming a blazing barrier against the invasive miasma.
'Looks like he's really set on killing me...' His gaze hardened. 'Fine then. Elder Yao, can you handle this one?'
A low, amused voice echoed beside him. "Heh, now you remember me? Though this man's power restrains the soul, he's still manageable. Little friend, allow me to show you the true might of the Five Ring Flame Expelling Formation!"
A wisp of golden-red flame drifted out from Liu Xi's Storage Ring, floating to his side—it was the ancient spirit, Yao Tianhuo.
Protector Jiu's scarlet pupils gleamed ominously. "Another soul? And one this condensed... you were no weakling in life. Perfect. I'll capture both of you today!"
The clinking of metal filled the air as several more chains, etched with sinister runes, whipped out from the darkness and streaked toward Yao Tianhuo.
Unmoved, Yao Tianhuo raised his palm. Five tiny flames appeared, one at the tip of each finger. With a surge of Spiritual Power, they flared outward, blazing into five towering pillars of fire.
"Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique!"
In an instant, the five flames transformed—each into a colossal fire spirit: wolf, leopard, lion, tiger, and dragon. Every creature stood over five zhang tall, their roars shaking the heavens, their heat distorting the very air.
These were beast flames Liu Xi had personally gathered for Yao Tianhuo after his awakening—each one a refined fire of the fifth or sixth rank. For Yao Tianhuo's flame mastery, merging them was effortless.
"Watch closely, little friend. This is the true power of the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique."
"Formation—ignite!"
Five pillars of multicolored fire erupted from the beasts' maws, converging to form a blazing pentagram in the sky. The lines intertwined, weaving into an intricate, radiant array.
A blazing curtain of fire descended, engulfing the battlefield and trapping Protector Jiu within.
The five flames fused temporarily, their combined aura so destructive it rivaled even the lower-ranked Heavenly Flames on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.
"Five Ring Flame Expelling Formation!"
Yao Tianhuo's voice thundered as his hand seals changed. Within the fire array, countless streams of interwoven five-colored flame surged like a tidal sea, crashing down upon Protector Jiu.
Protector Jiu snarled in shock and fury. Thick waves of black mist gushed from his body to resist the devouring fire, but the Fivefold Flame Array pressed in relentlessly.
He had fought many spirit flames before—but none like this. Caught off guard, he was forced entirely into defense, his chains thrashing helplessly within the inferno.
Yet even as victory tilted their way, Yao Tianhuo's soul form began to dim slightly—the price of unleashing such power in his current state.
Within the blazing inferno and roiling black smoke, the clash of flame and shadow raged on—now a battle of endurance.
It was no longer about strength.
It was about who could last longer.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.